A move between residential aged-care homes in 2026 can change more than the room. An older additional-service or extra-service agreement may continue only for a limited transition period, while a new provider uses the current fee framework. A family deciding before 31 October 2026 therefore needs two written cost pictures, not a verbal assurance that the homes are “about the same”.
The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care says old additional and extra-service arrangements cannot be newly entered into after 1 November 2025 and can continue only until 31 October 2026. The move decision should separate accommodation, care fees and optional services, and should remain conditional on the receiving home’s assessment and formal offer.
Start with the resident’s present agreement
Collect the signed resident agreement, accommodation document, current invoice and every schedule of additional or extra services. Mark which items are compulsory under the existing agreement, which can be declined and which have already been prepaid. A label such as “premium package” is not enough: list meals, entertainment, television, room features and personal services separately.
Ask the new home for its current fee architecture
Request the proposed resident agreement and a written schedule showing the basic daily fee, means-tested care fee if applicable, accommodation payment and any Higher Everyday Living Fee or other optional charge. Ask which services are included in the ordinary price. Compare billing frequency, indexation, notice and consent rules rather than matching only the weekly total.
Treat 31 October as a contract deadline, not a sales slogan
The transition date does not itself create a place or require a resident to move. Ask how the old home will replace its legacy arrangement if the resident stays beyond that date. Ask the new home which terms apply on the proposed start date. Keep the official guidance with both written answers so the family can see which rule each provider is applying.
Compare the same services line by line
Build columns for room, meals, allied health, outings, internet, entertainment, hairdressing, laundry and consumables. Record whether each item is included, optional, usage-based or unavailable. A lower package price may omit services the resident uses every week; a higher price may contain benefits that have no value to this person.
Calculate the transfer month
Model fees at the old home through the agreed departure date and at the new home from the agreed entry date. Add transport, medication handover, removal, temporary equipment and any accommodation payment timing. Ask both providers in writing when billing stops or begins and what happens if clinical clearance delays the move. Do not assume there will be no overlap.
Check notice, refund and room-payment terms
Read the existing departure notice and the proposed cancellation terms before paying. Identify refundable accommodation deposits, daily accommodation payments, balances and authorised deductions. The receiving home should state the beneficiary and reference for every payment. Keep provider invoices separate from any search, moving or advisory fee paid to another business.
Make the assessment a formal decision gate
A general vacancy is not resident-specific acceptance. Confirm what clinical information the receiving home has reviewed, whether the room and care unit are suitable and which documents remain outstanding. Do not terminate the current place until the family understands the written offer, entry date and conditions, unless an urgent safety decision makes another pathway necessary.
Ask what changes if the move is postponed
Request a written scenario for hospitalisation, infection, transport failure or a delayed decision. Ask whether the new room is held, whether a charge applies and when an offer expires. The old home should also explain whether notice can be withdrawn. These answers are part of the cost comparison, not minor administration.
Test optional services before consenting
For each optional service ask who supplies it, how often, how consent is recorded and how it can be stopped. A resident should not accept a bundle merely to secure an available room. If the provider says a service is required, ask for the contractual basis and confirm the statement against current government guidance.
Use a conflict-aware comparison
If a placement service or adviser receives a provider payment, ask for disclosure before relying on the recommendation. Compare at least one suitable home outside any paid panel. The old home and new home both have commercial interests in their own packages; preserve the original documents rather than accepting a coordinator’s paraphrase.
Run a final call with both providers
Send the same factual checklist to the current and receiving homes, then record answers beside the relevant contract clause. Confirm departure, arrival, legacy-service treatment, optional-service consent, accommodation balance and contact for corrections. If an answer conflicts with the written agreement, ask for an amended document before committing. This last comparison prevents the family from pricing one home from an invoice and the other from a brochure.
Where Curalune fits
Curalune can organise option selection and, through its fuller contact service, obtain comparable responses from homes within the purchased scope. The family can use that evidence to decide whether a transfer remains worthwhile. Curalune does not guarantee availability or admission and cannot determine government fee assessments.
Approve the move with a one-page decision record
Record the chosen home, resident-specific acceptance, start date, old and new fee totals, transition-date treatment, notice, refund, transport and unresolved questions. Name the person authorised to accept. A signed decision record helps prevent a fast sales call from replacing the more important resident agreement and provider evidence.
FAQ
Do legacy extra-service terms continue after a transfer? Do not assume so. Ask the receiving provider which current agreement and fees will apply to the new admission.
Must the resident move before 31 October 2026? No. The date affects the transition from older fee arrangements; it does not itself require a transfer.
Can the new home charge before arrival? Only rely on the written agreement and current rules. Ask exactly when each fee begins if entry is delayed.
Does Curalune guarantee the receiving bed? No. Curalune can support comparison and contacts but cannot guarantee availability or admission.